Middle School AAP vs. Honors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do parents with kids in AAP know that their base school's honors program is a joke?

Siblings. Friends of their children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I had to do it over again, I think I would have encouraged DD to take Honors classes instead of AAP in seventh and eighth grade. I think she would still have been challenged without the additional homework and she would have had more time to focus on her high school level Language and Math classes (grades which count on the high school transcript unless expunged).

So you would have backed your kid out of AAP into Gen Ed?

I know several who just that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I had to do it over again, I think I would have encouraged DD to take Honors classes instead of AAP in seventh and eighth grade. I think she would still have been challenged without the additional homework and she would have had more time to focus on her high school level Language and Math classes (grades which count on the high school transcript unless expunged).

So you would have backed your kid out of AAP into Gen Ed?

For God's sake, what does it matter? This is middle school, people! Get a grip.

[Anonymous]

How do parents with kids in AAP know that their base school's honors program is a joke?

If the entire student body is enrolled, by default, in a honors class, that is a joke. Our middle school enrolls EVERY student in honors history & science. There is no general ed option for these courses. How on earth is that an honors class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

How do parents with kids in AAP know that their base school's honors program is a joke?

If the entire student body is enrolled, by default, in a honors class, that is a joke. Our middle school enrolls EVERY student in honors history & science. There is no general ed option for these courses. How on earth is that an honors class?

Really?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

How do parents with kids in AAP know that their base school's honors program is a joke?

If the entire student body is enrolled, by default, in a honors class, that is a joke. Our middle school enrolls EVERY student in honors history & science. There is no general ed option for these courses. How on earth is that an honors class?

No middle school in Fairfax County enrolls student automatically in any honors classes. They are self selected. Maybe for the kids you know their parents are enrolling them in honors history and science because they can. They can also enroll them in English. For honors math the students have to qualify with Pass Advanced on 7th grade math SOL (in 6th) and successful completion of advanced math curriculum in 6th grade. Having a kid in all advanced middle school classes I know first hand it is a lot of work. Your kid needs to be focused and willing to keep up with the workload otherwise they will fall behind very quickly. Any smart kid should be able to do the work but completing all of the requirements on time is a different story. The teachers only give the students a little slack in 7th grade first semester after that all late work is 1/2 credit. I don't know about the AAP middle years program since most of the students are coming from the AAP centers maybe they are little more lenient with the deadlines. I do know that many of the AAP center students have a very hard time with the deadlines and work load in the middle school honors program. AP and AAP are two different things and in my opinion the AP is the better choice for an advanced education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How do parents with kids in AAP know that their base school's honors program is a joke?

If the entire student body is enrolled, by default, in a honors class, that is a joke. Our middle school enrolls EVERY student in honors history & science. There is no general ed option for these courses. How on earth is that an honors class?

No middle school in Fairfax County enrolls student automatically in any honors classes. They are self selected. Maybe for the kids you know their parents are enrolling them in honors history and science because they can. They can also enroll them in English. For honors math the students have to qualify with Pass Advanced on 7th grade math SOL (in 6th) and successful completion of advanced math curriculum in 6th grade. Having a kid in all advanced middle school classes I know first hand it is a lot of work. Your kid needs to be focused and willing to keep up with the workload otherwise they will fall behind very quickly. Any smart kid should be able to do the work but completing all of the requirements on time is a different story. The teachers only give the students a little slack in 7th grade first semester after that all late work is 1/2 credit. I don't know about the AAP middle years program since most of the students are coming from the AAP centers maybe they are little more lenient with the deadlines. I do know that many of the AAP center students have a very hard time with the deadlines and work load in the middle school honors program. AP and AAP are two different things and in my opinion the AP is the better choice for an advanced education.

PP here: Also, most FCPS 6th grade teachers only recommend 2 honors class because of the work load which could be the reason for the choice of only science and history. I will add though that all of the middle school honors classes are rigorous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How do parents with kids in AAP know that their base school's honors program is a joke?

If the entire student body is enrolled, by default, in a honors class, that is a joke. Our middle school enrolls EVERY student in honors history & science. There is no general ed option for these courses. How on earth is that an honors class?

No middle school in Fairfax County enrolls student automatically in any honors classes. They are self selected. Maybe for the kids you know their parents are enrolling them in honors history and science because they can. They can also enroll them in English. For honors math the students have to qualify with Pass Advanced on 7th grade math SOL (in 6th) and successful completion of advanced math curriculum in 6th grade. Having a kid in all advanced middle school classes I know first hand it is a lot of work. Your kid needs to be focused and willing to keep up with the workload otherwise they will fall behind very quickly. Any smart kid should be able to do the work but completing all of the requirements on time is a different story. The teachers only give the students a little slack in 7th grade first semester after that all late work is 1/2 credit. I don't know about the AAP middle years program since most of the students are coming from the AAP centers maybe they are little more lenient with the deadlines. I do know that many of the AAP center students have a very hard time with the deadlines and work load in the middle school honors program. AP and AAP are two different things and in my opinion the AP is the better choice for an advanced education.

I would have agreed with you -- until I read the Thoreau MS course catalog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do parents with kids in AAP know that their base school's honors program is a joke?

They don't. They are ignorant. Just one more way to justify their decisions. Middle school honors is a fantastic program and prepares the students for high school AP and IB. AAP elementary is for kids who can't learn in the standard classroom environment. AAP middle, I think, may be a little more challenging for the top tier students I don't know. But I do know many AAP elementary kids have a really hard time in middle school honors as I am sure they most likely do in middle school AAP. They problem is not knowing how to do the work it is keeping up with the deadlines and workload because the parents are not able to do the work or pick up all the pieced anymore A good student who can learn in the standard classroom environment should do just fine AAP center or not there is no difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How do parents with kids in AAP know that their base school's honors program is a joke?

If the entire student body is enrolled, by default, in a honors class, that is a joke. Our middle school enrolls EVERY student in honors history & science. There is no general ed option for these courses. How on earth is that an honors class?

No middle school in Fairfax County enrolls student automatically in any honors classes. They are self selected. Maybe for the kids you know their parents are enrolling them in honors history and science because they can. They can also enroll them in English. For honors math the students have to qualify with Pass Advanced on 7th grade math SOL (in 6th) and successful completion of advanced math curriculum in 6th grade. Having a kid in all advanced middle school classes I know first hand it is a lot of work. Your kid needs to be focused and willing to keep up with the workload otherwise they will fall behind very quickly. Any smart kid should be able to do the work but completing all of the requirements on time is a different story. The teachers only give the students a little slack in 7th grade first semester after that all late work is 1/2 credit. I don't know about the AAP middle years program since most of the students are coming from the AAP centers maybe they are little more lenient with the deadlines. I do know that many of the AAP center students have a very hard time with the deadlines and work load in the middle school honors program. AP and AAP are two different things and in my opinion the AP is the better choice for an advanced education.

I would have agreed with you -- until I read the Thoreau MS course catalog.

What about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How do parents with kids in AAP know that their base school's honors program is a joke?

If the entire student body is enrolled, by default, in a honors class, that is a joke. Our middle school enrolls EVERY student in honors history & science. There is no general ed option for these courses. How on earth is that an honors class?

No middle school in Fairfax County enrolls student automatically in any honors classes. They are self selected. Maybe for the kids you know their parents are enrolling them in honors history and science because they can. They can also enroll them in English. For honors math the students have to qualify with Pass Advanced on 7th grade math SOL (in 6th) and successful completion of advanced math curriculum in 6th grade. Having a kid in all advanced middle school classes I know first hand it is a lot of work. Your kid needs to be focused and willing to keep up with the workload otherwise they will fall behind very quickly. Any smart kid should be able to do the work but completing all of the requirements on time is a different story. The teachers only give the students a little slack in 7th grade first semester after that all late work is 1/2 credit. I don't know about the AAP middle years program since most of the students are coming from the AAP centers maybe they are little more lenient with the deadlines. I do know that many of the AAP center students have a very hard time with the deadlines and work load in the middle school honors program. AP and AAP are two different things and in my opinion the AP is the better choice for an advanced education.

I would have agreed with you -- until I read the Thoreau MS course catalog.

What about it?

OK took a look it does say: "All seventh and eighth grade students, with a few exceptions[b], will be placed in honors science and honors social studies classes.
Interesting.

[Anonymous]

I would have agreed with you -- until I read the Thoreau MS course catalog.

What about it?

Thoreau is the middle school that requires every student to be enrolled in honors history and English. They do not offer a regular level of these classes, only honors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How do parents with kids in AAP know that their base school's honors program is a joke?

If the entire student body is enrolled, by default, in a honors class, that is a joke. Our middle school enrolls EVERY student in honors history & science. There is no general ed option for these courses. How on earth is that an honors class?

No middle school in Fairfax County enrolls student automatically in any honors classes. They are self selected. Maybe for the kids you know their parents are enrolling them in honors history and science because they can. They can also enroll them in English. For honors math the students have to qualify with Pass Advanced on 7th grade math SOL (in 6th) and successful completion of advanced math curriculum in 6th grade. Having a kid in all advanced middle school classes I know first hand it is a lot of work. Your kid needs to be focused and willing to keep up with the workload otherwise they will fall behind very quickly. Any smart kid should be able to do the work but completing all of the requirements on time is a different story. The teachers only give the students a little slack in 7th grade first semester after that all late work is 1/2 credit. I don't know about the AAP middle years program since most of the students are coming from the AAP centers maybe they are little more lenient with the deadlines. I do know that many of the AAP center students have a very hard time with the deadlines and work load in the middle school honors program. AP and AAP are two different things and in my opinion the AP is the better choice for an advanced education.

I would have agreed with you -- until I read the Thoreau MS course catalog.

What about it?

OK took a look it does say: "All seventh and eighth grade students, with a few exceptions[b], will be placed in honors science and honors social studies classes.
Interesting.

Robinson catalogue:
HONORS PROGRAM: Which is the same as Advanced Placement
Students who have demonstrated high achievement, interest, and/or potential in one or more academic areas may be ready to take honors classes. At Robinson, the academic focus of honors classes is placed on higher-level critical thinking skills. These classes provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum. We encourage parents to evaluate their student’s academic strengths, ability and SOL achievement, grades, school/teacher recommendation, and related behavioral factors for appropriate placement. There is a strong expectation that students remain in the level (standard or honors) that they started the academic year. This policy is based on instructional best practice and the limitations of the schedule. Schedule changes will NOT be made in order that students may avoid poor or failing grades, nor will students be “moved up” to honors classes mid-year.

[Anonymous]

AP and AAP are two different things and in my opinion the AP is the better choice for an advanced education.

AP and AAP are two different things: AP courses are available for high school students to choose and AAP is a program for students in grades 3 through 8. The two are not available at the same time to one age group; they are for completely different age groups, so one does not choose between one and the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I would have agreed with you -- until I read the Thoreau MS course catalog.

What about it?

Thoreau is the middle school that requires every student to be enrolled in honors history and English. They do not offer a regular level of these classes, only honors.

Actually they do, for the exceptions. I do question how it can be honors if all kids are being placed in it.